Technical Field
The present invention relates to a solar-thermal refrigerant compression system employing classical refrigerants and a method of providing a cooling effect with the system.
Description of the Related Art
The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
The sorption technique (liquid-vapor absorption and solid-vapor adsorption) is the most commonly used technique in solar-driven air conditioning and refrigeration systems. However, the sorption technique needs special refrigerants, such as ammonia, methanol and water, because most of the classical refrigerants (i.e. fluorocarbons) are incompatible with this technique. In addition, the sorption cooling systems are bulky and expensive.
U.S. patent application (2014/0223945A1) discloses a solar thermal air conditioning unit that can be used with fluorocarbon and CFC refrigerants. The unit has a compressor compressing a refrigerant gas to form a compressed refrigerant, which flows to condensers and then an evaporator.
Patent applications (U.S. 2008/0047285A1, E.P. 2669585A1 and DE 102010056490A1) disclose various solar thermal air conditioning and/or heating systems using either ammonia/water systems, water/glycol systems, or methanol/ethanol refrigerants.
In view of the foregoing, the objective of the present invention is to provide a relatively compact and economical solar thermal-driven cooling system that does not employ a mechanical compressor and employs classical refrigerants such as fluorocarbons.